Assistant Professor Juan José Castellón’s 301 Design Studio is representing Rice University in the Global Studios Exhibition of the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2021, Sept. 16 - Oct. 31, with their research "Circular Prototypes: Food, Energy, and Water (F.E.W.) Rooftop Infrastructures." The exhibition includes the construction of a 1:1 scale prototype among eight works selected through an open call and located on the Seoul Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP).
Watch a brief interview with Castellon about the project here.
The proposed 4x4x4m modular solution lends itself to operate as a prototypical flexible module able to be deployed onto any pre-existing urban rooftop. The modular system is comprised of post-tensioned hollow ceramic pieces acting as structural columns and water collectors, wooden framework and soil boxes conforming the floor system and showcasing the implementation of our urban farming concept, and a water collector membrane system that captures rainwater through its expansive surface. The membrane carries water through the hollow ceramic columns, from which it is diverted to pipes inside the wooden floor and soil boxes for irrigation purposes. The water management system generated by the proposal would work to alleviate the effects of flooding and drought through storage and release, and reduce runoff by capturing water and redirecting it into irrigation tanks. The materiality of the modular columns, with its high thermal inertia, also provides energy-saving cooling benefits. Finally, the system incorporates soil as an essential material, that serves to absorb water and grow food for the community. The resulting hybrid prototype integrates food, energy, and water infrastructures into a minimum loss and minimum waste circular system, while helping to foster a sense of community and social interaction.
Studio Leader: Juan José Castellón
301 Design Studio: Daniela Ennis, Christina Zhou, Juhi Parikh, Jared Snow, Eva Liu, Yumeng Zhao, David Chen and Yidong He.
Research Assistants: Beixi Zhu, Estefania Barajas, Carolyn Francis, Sebastián López Cardozo and Yao Wang.
Collaborators: Prof. Qilin Li (Rice University),Ricardo Pittella (Arup Houston),Toni Cumella and Guillem Cumella (Ceramica Cumella), Pierluigi D'Acunto, Federico Bertagna, Rice Design Alliance and Rice Architecture.